Essential Idioms for THPTQG 2023-2024

This flashcard set covers essential English idioms and their meanings from the THPTQG 2023-2024 review notes to help students master common expressions for the exam.

(As) cool as a cucumber

Extremely calm, relaxed, and in control of emotions.

(With one's head) in the clouds

Spending too much time thinking about impractical ideas or daydreams.

A blessing in disguise

A misfortune that eventually results in something good happening.

A chapter of accidents

A series of unfortunate events or mishaps.

A drop in the ocean

A very small amount compared to the total or what is needed.

A hot potato

A difficult, sensitive, or painful problem to deal with.

A piece of cake

Something that is very easy or simple to do.

A storm in a teacup

Great anger or excitement about a trivial or unimportant matter.

Actions speak louder than words

The idea that doing something is more meaningful than just talking about it.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Eating healthy food like apples helps maintain good health and prevent illness.

At odds (with someone/something)

In disagreement or opposition to someone or something.

At the eleventh hour

At the last possible moment or the final hour.

Be all ears

To be listening very eagerly and carefully.

Be like chalk and cheese

To be completely different from one another.

Break a leg!

A common phrase used to wish someone good luck.

Burn the midnight oil

To stay up late at night working or studying.

Costs an arm and a leg

To be very expensive or cost a large amount of money.

Cross your fingers

To hope that something will happen the way you want it to; wishing for luck.

Cry over spilled/spilt milk

To waste time feeling regret or sadness about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

Advice not to risk all of one's resources or opportunities on a single venture.

Face the music

To accept criticism or punishment for something you have done.

Get/jump/leap on the bandwagon

To join an activity or trend that has become popular.

Go in one ear and out the other

To be forgotten immediately after being heard; failing to pay attention.

Have butterflies in one's stomach

To feel very nervous or anxious about something.

Head over heels (in love)

To be completely and deeply in love with someone.

Hit the nail on the head

To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem; to be precisely correct.

Ignorance is bliss

The idea that if you do not know about a problem, you do not need to worry about it.

Kill two birds with one stone

To achieve two different things with a single action.

Let the cat out of the bag

To reveal a secret, usually by accident.

Make a mountain out of a molehill

To treat a minor problem as if it were a major crisis.

Make it up to someone

To do something good for someone you have upset or disappointed in order to improve the situation.

Off and on/on and off

Happening occasionally or at intervals rather than continuously.

On the house

Provided for free; usually referring to food or drinks in a restaurant or bar.

Once in a blue moon

Very rarely; occurring only once in a long time.

Out of sight, out of mind

Something that is forgotten as soon as it is no longer visible or present.

Part and parcel

An essential or unavoidable part of an experience or activity.

Put your foot down

To use your authority to stop something from happening or to insist on something.

Rome wasn't built in a day

A reminder that important tasks or great things take time to complete.

Slip your mind

To be forgotten.

Smell a rat

To suspect that something is wrong, dishonest, or a trick.

Spick and span

Very clean, neat, and tidy.

The best thing since sliced bread

A person or thing that is considered excellent or very useful.

Through thick and thin

Supporting someone or staying with something through both good and bad times.

Under the weather

Feeling slightly ill or not in good health.

With flying colors

With great success or high scores.